frambusch

If I guarantee a room with a credit card, I expect do be charged for the night even if I don't show up. Why would a hotel have the right to sell a room that has already been paid for by me? If I don't show, they get paid twice for the same room? And if I do show, I get walked? So it amounts to a one way contract where I guarantee my performance and the hotel gives no guaranty of their performance? Generally, to be enforceable, a contract must have consideration by both parties.
I would argue that the hotels imply that they have guaranteed a room and expect me to pay for it in order to receive the guaranty. If there is actually no guarantee, what is it that I am paying for? (just a space available accommodation?) I shouldn't have to pay for that.

StuckinITH

The only time that I got walked was from the Tampa Marriott Waterside when there was a big conference I was attending. They tried to put my wife and I at the Courtyard Marriott Downtown but that would have meant walking at night in an empty downtown. So, we refused. In the end, after some heavy discussion, they put us for the three nights of our stay at the Westin Tampa Harbour. And there we got a beautiful room with water views. But we saw that the Marriott managed to convince many graduate students to take the lower class hotel. I didn't think of asking to be moved to the Hilton because we saw the Westin when we were coming in and my wife loves Westins. I'm more of a Hilton person.

RogerD408

As outlined above, there are many reasons why a room may not be available upon your arrival and I do believe most properties will do everything possible to keep your room available. But yes, if you no show, then they do have the option to charge for the night, resold or not. However, if you do show up and they must walk you, you get the night free, although be it at another property and other benefits depending upon their policy. Sounds like a loss for the property to me.

Saidoh

Has anyone ever encountered this internationally? It looks like the previous posts all relate to domestic properties, which is a huge pain, but overseas this could be devastating after a long/late flight getting in at midnight.

StuckinITH

Yes, but some of us are coming from overseas and arrive at our destination in the US at midnight after having to wait 6 hours in Philadelphia for our connecting flight. And it would be devastating.

oranjemakker

This all sounds like a very dark and quite a dodgy aspect of the hotel business, and i am very surprised (I guess naively!) that it seems to be so common, and accepted by many here on FT.

Aside from the reasons listed in one of the posts above, where a full hotel is caused by a sick guest or one who refuses to leave, I cannot see how it is reasonable for a hotel to dishonour a guaranteed booking.

Its very different from a flight where many of the no-shows may have flexible tickets, and so they cannot charge for these. A hotel, if it sells 100% of its rooms will have 100% of revenue.

I think the penalties for a hotel "walking" a guest should be far higher than above, perhaps a hotel guest bill of rights like they do for airline passengers in some countries where compensation is set at 4 or 5 times the room rate perhaps? (back to the flight comparison, where I have been bumped it has been voluntarily and I have been very generously compensated)

And, if in case of a genuine no-show, if they resell your room, they should not be allowed to charge the guarantee.

justhere

I'm not sure that it is that common. But when it does happen, if most of the time the hotel does the right think and puts the guest in a comparable or better hotel, comps that night stay and provides other forms of compensation, I think most guests aren't going to complain too much.

Also, even if hotels weren't to overbook, they can be booked to 100% and if even just one guest decides to stay an extra night, then someone is going to get walked.

And sometimes, hotels will refund even when past the cancellation deadline, it just depends on the hotel. Keep in mind if they walk you and comp the first night, they are giving you a refund.

Eye of Storm

According to Slide 8 of your (BearX220's) presentation, Mike is on a career path to "2014: Septic Tank Cleaner". I wonder if that came true...

writerguyfl

Guest Refusing to Vacate (#1): As dcstudent notes, it depends on local law. Some places require you to involve the police/sheriff. Although unfair, it's always easier to let the guest stay.

Guest Making a Scene with No Reservation (#2): As much as I would have loved it, kicking out the person making a scene isn't a wise move. With easy access to social media and sites like Trip Advisor, doing that would be a PR nightmare. Sadly, hotels couldn't respond with the truth: "You had a reservation at a different hotel and then proceeded to verbally abuse our staff so we kicked you out".

Occassionally, someone will post a story on FT about how a hotel or airline did something unspeakable to him or her. Others will respond saying that it was actually the OP who was being unreasonable. Yet, despite 95% of people disagreeing, the OP still stubbornly insists that he or she is right. That's the type of person who would cause a scene in the lobby. Again, it's unfair to the person that gets walked.

Don Draper

Hilton did kindly reach out to me. They offered the full points for the first night as well $100. They said "the $200 is provided at our full service brands in such situations".

Also mentioned they will follow up directly with the hotel.

RogerD408

If they do walk you to another property, they are not dishonoring the reservation but honoring it, and at their expense. Just like airlines do not guarantee a particular seat, hotels do not guarantee a particular room. There will be events that will cause them to change your room type and there will be events that cause them to move you to a different property. That's why there are walk policies.

Just like you can actually make money taking airline bumps, you can also make money on hotel walks! Inconvenient? Yes.

oranjemakker

I guess a key difference in an airline situation is that, usually, they ask for volunteers...kind of hard to do at a hotel!

Jai7123

You raise good questions and make good points.

Unfortunately there is (unless it's a group contract booking) there is no contract per se. It's an agreement to lease/rent a room for a specified time, for a specified price. Unfortunately all the fine print is there and we all agree to all of it without reading it (including me).

Most policies of third party booking sites and actual hotels give little recourse. In fact, if you read any of the 3rd party sites like hotels.com you are agreeing to arbitration to settle any issues/problems even when you are stone cold right. Not that you'd spend the time and money to go to court anyway.

Your best recourse is always to speak to someone and keep going up the chain for resolution. Calling corporate is a great idea especially if member of a loyalty program.

Some other actions that work on behalf of the guest : Social media! Tweet away, hit them in Facebook. Some companies have Twitter accts where you (Delta Airlines example) where you tweet and they add you as a follower and you can direct message them and they actually help in most cases. One time I tweeted about waiting for a room even after I paid in advance, I was stuck sitting in the lobby at the time but after tweeting the issue like 5 minutes later the manager on duty comes and gets us and takes us to the executive level full of apologies. Coincidence? I doubt it.

Now just to get "even" or to vent, I've seen people tweet away from different accounts at different times (so they don't get blocked) to get their frustrations out.

I've done it, didn't help but I felt better.

Also post on TripAdvisor, trust me all the chains to one degree or another monitor TripAdvisor like hawks. Just page through and you'll see some hotels post responses to bad reviews every time and acknowledge good ones every time. The big players do, now their franchisees don't monitor as much or respond often but, TripAdvisor and sites like this one are great places to "share" information and express opinions.

Points Scrounger

Sounds like things are working out about as well as can be expected. I'll never forget the manager of the Crowne Plaza in Portland, OR who greeted me right away as a Platinum member when I gave my name, WITHOUT recourse to a computer screen. She explained proudly, "I go through the (incoming) list every morning so I know who my Plats are!"

missamo80

Looks like it is indeed $100 at Hilton Garden Inns. A quick search turned up the HGI Brand Standards Manual. Section 703.10 deals with walked Diamond members:

It seems they got the $100 right, but missed the immediate part

Neil